Helium inspection for lithium battery cell production

Where can I find information about leak testing on lithium-ion battery cells?

For more detailed information about leak testing on Lithium-ion Battery Cells, click here or contact the INFICON sales office nearest you.

How do you test a lithium ion battery?

Battery cells can be of different types: pouch, cylindrical, prismatic or coin cells. Leak testing of lithium-ion battery cells is usually done with conventional testing, such as vacuum testing or helium bombing. In order to determine if any leak is present, visual inspection is also required.

Can helium leak test be used for pouch cells?

Furthermore, the helium leak test cannot be used for pouch cells. There currently are no reliable tests on which to base leak-detection standards for a full range of soft-pouch, cylindrical or prismatic battery cells in use throughout the industry.

What should be considered when testing lithium-ion battery cells?

Two primary objectives must be considered when testing lithium-ion battery cells: The need to minimize the loss of electrolytes over the battery cell’s lifecycle. The importance of reducing the possibility of moisture entering the battery cell. Prismatic battery cells in a vacuum test chamber.

Are there reliable leak-detection standards for helium battery cells?

“There currently are no reliable tests on which to base leak-detection standards for a full range of soft-pouch, cylindrical or prismatic battery cells in use throughout the industry,” says Daniel Wetzig, head of leak-detection R&D at INFICON—a specialist in gas analysis technology that designs and produces helium leak testing equipment.

What is the helium tracer-gas leak-rate test limit for lithium-ion battery cells?

A helium tracer-gas leak-rate test limit of 10-6 mbar∙l/s would apply for all three types of lithium-ion battery cells. While leak-rate test limits are the same for all three battery cell types, pouch-cell testing presents a unique challenge.